Sunday, August 02, 2020 - 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 14, 13-21 - Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
Dear Christians, we have heard in the Gospel that after the death of John the Baptist, Jesus isolated Himself in the desert to pray. The reason for this is that He knows that from that moment on, He will succeed John and take the responsibility of preaching the Gospel. This already teaches us that prayer is important before starting a task or taking on a responsibility.
When people learned that Jesus was in the desert, many went looking for Him. This is a true expression of faith and zeal, because it is a long journey, and it takes time to get there. Today, this behaviour is similar to going to the large gathering of the district or diocese. But how diligent are we in the face of these events? Excuses are always given, such as distance, lack of time, for not attending when it is laziness that keeps us there. Following Jesus is incompatible with idleness.
Then we heard that he was compassionate and that his heart was touched. There is a lesson to be learned here: God is not indifferent to our efforts: getting up early in the morning to go to church on Sunday, taking an active part in preparing the liturgy, cleaning the church, attending council meetings... This goes straight to His heart.
However, let us be alert in following Jesus, let us avoid easy solutions. Consider the disciples' words: "Disperse the crowd to go and buy food in the villages". This is an easy solution, a solution of the lazy one who does not want to bother. Here are some common examples: wanting to receive the sacraments without going through the necessary preparations and participation: lazy in prayer, nonchalant in the face of responsibilities... While the task must be done: "To give food to the people".
Dear Christians, Jesus did not multiply the bread immediately from nothing, but from the five loaves and two fish offered. If the owner had kept them for himself alone, the crowd would not have had to eat. So, if famine is still raging in our society, it is because there are a small number of people who keep "the five loaves and the two fishes" for themselves. On the other hand, if it's possible to start new schools, to rehabilitate a church... it's because somebody generously offered "the five loaves and two fishes". And last but not least, Jesus reminds us here that food is a gift from God and not the fruit of our labor alone. Hence the imperative of blessings before and after each meal, and that it is indecent to waste and abuse food. That is why the Scriptures say that leftovers and crumbs are gathered together. So this is the image of the Holy Eucharist to which we are invited.
